Definitions for geligniteˈdʒɛl ɪgˌnaɪt

This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word gelignite

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gelignite, gelly(noun)

a type of dynamite in which the nitroglycerin is absorbed in a base of wood pulp and sodium or potassium nitrate

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gelignite(Noun)

An explosive mixture of nitroglycerine and nitrate absorbed onto a base of wood pulp.

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Gelignite

Gelignite, also known as blasting gelatin or simply jelly, is an explosive material consisting of collodion-cotton dissolved in either nitroglycerine or nitroglycol and mixed with wood pulp and saltpetre.
It was invented in 1875 by Alfred Nobel, who had earlier invented dynamite and was later to endow the Nobel Prizes. Unlike dynamite, gelignite does not suffer from the dangerous problem of sweating, the leaking of unstable nitroglycerine from the solid matrix. Its composition makes it easily moldable and safe to handle without protection, as long as it is not near anything capable of detonating it. One of the cheapest explosives, it burns slowly and cannot explode without a detonator, so it can be stored safely.
In the United Kingdom an explosives certificate, issued by the local Chief Officer of Police, is required for possession of gelignite. Due to its widespread civilian use in quarries and mining, it has historically been often used by irregular forces such as the Irish Republican Army.